Revascularization in patients with diabetes and chronic total occlusion: The journey or the destination?

Key Points Diabetic patients have higher rates of multivessel coronary artery disease with a chronic total occlusion (CTO). Medical therapy is associated with worse outcomes compared to surgical revascularization and successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in diabetic patients with CTO. Coronary artery bypass graft surgery achieves more complete revascularization compared to PCI, and appears to impart superior outcomes in diabetic patients with CTO. Improving CTO revascularization techniques and outcomes may bridge this disparity in outcomes.

Automated summary

Diabetic patients with chronic total occlusion (CTO) have higher rates of multivessel coronary artery disease. Surgical revascularization and successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) yield better outcomes than medical therapy in these patients, with coronary artery bypass graft surgery showing superior results compared to PCI. Improvements in CTO revascularization techniques and outcomes may help bridge the gap in outcomes for diabetic patients.